At least three armed militants fired shots at the base from a nearby building in Kandahar city on Thursday. The interior ministry said two of the attackers were later killed by security forces.

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul said the assault continued for several hours, with the attackers also firing rocket-propelled grenades at the base. The embassy said all U.S. State Department personnel were safe and accounted for.

A NATO spokesman said there were no coalition fatalities. At least one Afghan soldier and a civilian were reportedly wounded.

The Kandahar base is home to NATO troops and a provincial reconstruction team. Afghan officials say they were attending a meeting with NATO officials when the attack took place, but that none of those present was hurt.

A nearby road was blocked as security forces worked to defuse explosives found in vehicles parked near the base.